The State Archives of Florida provides online access to resources that had a significant impact in Florida's history. The collection includes over 176,000 photographs, more than 110 videos, an audio collection, historical and genealogical collection, exhibits, and an online classroom. The online classroom contains lesson plans, online activities, and primary documents of Florida's past. Enjoy folk music from Florida's past or look at Florida in the Civil War. There is a lot here to explore about Florida and beyond.

In the Classroom

In the classroom, integrate primary documents in addition to your text to get a broader picture of history, even if you are not teaching specifically about Florida. Take a closer look at history, through the multiple aspects of video, audio, laws, and land grants. Look at perspectives of Civil War from a southern state. Make biographies of Florida residents come alive with the culture of their time. Compare and contrast Florida and another state. Use an online tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here). Examine the history of space through NASA. You and your students can discover how Civil Rights progressed in Florida. Look at the history of the Seminole tribe as you study native Americans. Challenge students to create an infographic using Easel.ly, reviewed here, or Venngage, reviewed here, about a certain period in Florida's history or to compare Florida and other states. Before beginning the infographic, have students brainstorm or collect ideas on a collaborative bulletin board like Scrumblr reviewed here (quick start- no membership required!). Use this resource to meet Common Core standards about primary sources or writing. Challenge students to produce digital writing and interact with others online.

Looking for some new ideas (and tips) for the science fair? Check out the free material available on this blog created by a PhD in Oceanography who works as an environmental microbiologist. She created the site to coach parents and kids through the science fair process. You will not only find ideas to use for a science fair project, but also the steps to follow to complete a project successfully. Find some great ideas that you can tweak to fit your needs and interests. Find many great ideas for data to collect and explanations of the variables involved in the scientific method. There are great tips for students doing projects, including questions to expect from judges!This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use information from this site to help students who struggle with te concepts of creating and carrying out a good science fair project. Assign science fair projects as extra credit for students to pursue individualized experiences and knowledge or as a regular part of the curriculum for scientific method. Even if you don't do a full science fair, use ideas form this site to help students envision scientific method through specific examples. Have them make a graphic organizer that shows the progression of steps involved in science investigations. Use a site such as Canva, reviewed here, to create visual graphic organizers. Share this link on your class website during science fair time.

What better way to learn science than by "doing science"? My NASA Data provides satellite images, charts, and graphs to analyze information from real world problems. Where to start? Best place is the Lesson Plan tab. Here, find a variety of lessons that can be used in any classroom. Lessons are sorted by High School, Middle School, Elementary. View climate change lessons, Stand alone lessons (a great way to get started), and 50 or 90 minute lessons. Find great ideas that are multi-day projects. Each lesson plan features outcomes, pre-requisite knowledge, tools, National and AP standards as well as Virginia State standards. Be sure to use the linked vocabulary they provide and view all the lesson links. The included background information, procedures, student questions, and extensions are invaluable in planning the lessons. Be sure to go to the bottom of each lesson page to click on the Teachers Notes and to even view the lesson without the standards.

In the Classroom

For younger grades, learn about "Basic Line Plots" or "Creating a Bar Graph." There are many other lessons including "The Sun's Energy," "Solar Power," and "Seasons." For Middle School Students, identify "Aruba Cloud Cover Measured by Satellite," "Is Grandpa Right, Were Winters Colder When He Was A Boy," or "Does Humidity Affect Cloud Formation?" Older students can discover "Variable Affecting Earth's Albedo," "March of the Polar Bears: Global Change, Sea Ice, and Wildlife Migration," "Carbon Monoxide and Population Density" or "Hurricane Research." Though there is a large amount of lessons that coordinate with environmental issues, be sure to click on all the lesson plans to view all the possibilities. There is an unbelievable amount of topics to choose from that can fit in any science curriculum or many other type of classrooms at any age. History classes can use "1492: Using Data to Explain a Journey." Be sure to test out all links at school to be sure it is not blocked by your school filter.

This one-stop source is a curation of images and videos to engage students in science. Registration is required to access the collection. Created by a teacher, TackTile is an easy, efficient way of finding great science starters from around the Internet. Choose from science subjects: Chemistry, Biology, Geology/Earth Science, Astronomy, Engineering, and Physics. Choose a topic within the subject area (such as Volcanoes and Igneous Rocks in Geology). Each topic is divided into subtopics. View the tiles in each subtopic. Tiles are captioned with information that relates to the subtopic. Below the tiles are Activity and Demonstration Ideas to use with each subtopic. Click on any tile to view in a pop-up window. View the images directly or download easily from TackTile. Copyright information is included with the images. Videos can be played directly within the pop-up window or click to view on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as Tube Offline, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

This tool has great ideas and ready to use images and videos from around the Internet. Use as a starter activity to engage students and "hook" them into the lesson. Use the images or videos to discover misconceptions, find prior knowledge before beginning the lesson, or just to interest students in the topic. Show the image or video on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to share this site (with a log in) on your class website for students to use when preparing individual or group presentations. Use resources in these tiles to engage students in creative writing about science or to explain the concepts learned at the end of the unit.

Find videos about water resources from all areas of the U.S. Some of the specific topics include the Water Cycle, Sierra Nevada Snow Pack & Snow Melt, Los Angeles & Water Imports, and others. View the transcript of any video by clicking on the Transcript tab of the player. Click the turnaround arrow in the top right of each video frame to see the "flip side" of the video "cue card" for a list of keywords and a description, Even though the larger NBC Learn site is a fee-based subscription, this is a free resource.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use the full screen mode on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to place this link on your classroom page for students to view the videos and identify factors that affect the sustainability of water in various areas of the country. Encourage your students to create their own investigations about the issues with water resources. Use this site as the starting point for individual or group projects into factors affecting water systems. Have cooperative learning groups connect information from the videos and impact on the various parts of the water cycle. Trace the path of a water molecule through each of these water systems. If animals and plants in these areas were to have a voice, what would they say about their water resource? Have students create blogs, speaking as a plant or animal. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Loose Leaves, reviewed here. This blog creator requires no registration.

This free tool provides math and science interactives that encourage critical thinking. Click to choose an activity: Crash Scene Investigation, Stem Cell Transplant, Design a Cell Phone, Deep Brain Stimulation, and Virtual Knee Replacement Surgery. These topics are sure to grab your attention! Be sure to check out the Teacher Resource Center to find and submit great ideas. Subtitles can be turned on in each of the activities. Actual photos can be viewed by clicking on the camera icon.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use these engaging activities on an Interactive Whiteboard or on individual computers. Students can record vital information they have learned about each of the interactives to share in a class discussion at the end. Ask questions that connect your class content to the interactives. How is Math or Science useful here? Students can journal what they feel watching these interactives and infer what a person working in that interactive would be thinking or feeling.

This Infographic offers 50 Amazing Facts not well known about the Earth. The Infographic is separated into different sections by themes including Space, Atmosphere, Sea, Under Earth, Ground, and Man. Take a look to learn something new... and possibly to wonder whether everything it says is true.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

This site would be a great introduction into digital literacy. Ask students how they know that these facts are actually true? Discuss how you can research the author, the quality of the site itself, the comments made, etc. Compare this site to others that are deemed to be "authorities" and with those that are not. Each student could choose one or two of these facts to do further research, not only to determine whether the facts are true, but to find important background information that can make the fact relevant to other students and the class. Be sure to check out the comments to see those who dispute some of the "facts" in the Infographic. Use research to determine which facts are correct. Why are some of the facts correct or incorrect, and what misconceptions exist about these facts? For quick projects, have students create instant graphics of important words about the Earth using a tool such as Typogenerator (reviewed here) or Wordle (reviewed here).

Vidtionary is a video dictionary defining words through images (and videos). The short videos include the word said aloud and shown in print, with sound effects or engaging music in the background. Browse entries using the search bar or view featured collections. Browse alphabetically or explore collections. Because of the wide range of topics and difficulty levels, these vocabulary words could be used with any age. Video lengths run less than one minute per definition, many as short as 10-15 seconds. Originally designed to teach English to speakers of Korean and Japanese, the visual nature of the site appeals to all language learners.

In the Classroom

While this site is ideal for any student learning new vocabulary, it is especially useful for ESL/ELL students or speech/language students with vocabulary deficits. Share selected videos in primary grades to help students see how new words are defined and spelled. Challenge your gifted students to find new vocabulary words to share with the class. Use in any classroom as a model (sharing on your interactive whiteboard or projector). Then assign cooperative learning groups to create Vidtionary inspired videos of their own to explain curriculum terms, world language vocabulary, or SAT words. Use a tool like Moovly, reviewed here, and share them on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here.

This interactive site shows citizens everything they need to know about hail including basics, facts, frequency, size, and formation. In addition, you can see a slideshow about what hail looks like in its vast variety of sizes! Finally, get tips about what to do during a hailstorm.

In the Classroom

Have students comb newspaper archives to collect pictures of historical hail storms. Challenge students to move past PowerPoint and create an online Prezi presentation, reviewed here, or another reviewed tool from the TeachersFirst Edge Presentations to explain the formation and incidence of hail events.

This detailed site shows a map of past tornadoes, state by state. There is also an explanation of the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale (measuring tornado strength). Find information on how tornadoes form and how to survive one. Details are provided about the most significant tornadoes to strike the U.S., and data about where and when they strike. Additionally, there are photographs showing what the different levels of the EF scale look like.

In the Classroom

Show pictures of the different levels of devastation before preparing students in your school for the tornado drill and preparation. Have students comb newspaper archives for similar images of tornadoes that have hit your state, if applicable. students could keep an electronic journal of what they are learning using Penzu, reviewed here. With Penzu you can add images or your own artwork as illustrations. Challenge your students to use a site such as Timeglider, reviewed here, to create an interactive timeline of when the tornadoes hit. Students could create an online presentation about local tornadoes using a tool like Zoho Show (similar to Powerpoint, but easier and free), reviewed here.

View a map showing what the world could look like in 5,000 years. Despite contradictory information from non-scientists, present warming trends are predicted to raise the ocean's sea level drastically, changing the coastline of every continent. Toggle the city names to get a really good idea of the land that will be lost. Choose the various continents to compare the loss of land.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Compare different continents and brainstorm why some continents lose more land than others. Predict the areas that will be the hardest hit socially, politically, and economically. Research the population of these coastal areas to fully realize the enormity of the problem. Discuss the time frame needed to see these changes and begin looking for information that shows land loss is already occurring. (Note: There is research of land loss and reclamation efforts in Scandinavia and in Virginia.) How will this alter ecosystems and how humans depend upon the living things around them? Challenge cooperative learning groups to create simple infographic sharing their findings or predictions using Easel.ly, reviewed here or Venngage reviewed here.

Find several "teachable moments" lesson plans based on articles and current topics, ready for download in PDF format. There are a variety of topics such as Pluto is no Longer a Planet, Vending Machine Bans in Schools, and Is the Internet Making us Dumber? Click to download and view each lesson including background information, standards, worksheets, and options for use. The lesson plans are quite thorough and include links to related articles. They encourage "close reading" a la CCSS with engaging material in science, social studies, and other subjects. You can ignore the ads for purchase of "related materials."

In the Classroom

These interesting, topical lessons would make a great resource for days when a substitute will be in your classroom or may fit perfectly in your regular curriculum. The Internet plan is well suited for digital citizenship and/or research curriculum. Save in your sub folder for a ready-to-go class activity. Print and use lessons as part of class debates and projects. Replace paper and pen and use a tool like Zoho Show (similar to Powerpoint, but easier and free), reviewed here, for students to present results.

This tool is cool little tidbits of knowledge. The subtitle is "Boldly Exploring Life's Little Mysteries." Zidbits include facts such as "What is the hardest language to learn?" "Do trees die from old age?" or "What is the most lethal poison?" Find facts for history, science, health, entertainment, and news on this site as well as fun facts. This site doesn't provide just a quick tidbit, but also gives background information and additional details.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

This resource is useful to hook your students at the beginning of your lessons or simply to get them reading non-fiction text. Use these as hooks to get your students thinking about content that will be introduced in the lesson. Students can find a Zidbit they are interested in. Poll students about possible answers and then report the actual answer and content needed in order to understand and explain it. Learn a new Zidbit yourself every week. If you teach public speaking skills, have students use these stories as inspiration or "hooks" for informational speeches, as well.

Take a virtual "nerd trip" with science-history geeks. The name of this resource is sure to catch some interest, and the locations feature very interesting histories. Click on each point in the map to read a small synopsis of the site. You can also click links to learn more about many of the sites. We suggest you preview any information prior to sending students to explore on their own. The sites are nontraditional and can raise questions about "pop" science vs "real" science.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use these "road trips" as a springboard for unusual research projects on science topics. These are great for gifted students or skeptical students who need the extra spark of researching something a little quirky. These are also great ideas for small group research. Encourage students to create presentations about real life science with its benefits and drawbacks. Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Be sure to discuss when science enters pop culture in our society. The Center for PostNatural History, one of the sites on this map, is one such example (located near Pittsburgh, PA where organisms have been altered genetically and possibly questionably.)

Discover the science and engineering behind many Hollywood Themes: Zombies, Space, Forensics, and Superheroes. Choose one of the themes to access information, videos, TI-Nspire downloads for interactive activities, and more. Each page also features related Math and Science Activities. The current hosts are Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory) and Dr. Z.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Pair this information and the related activities with classroom content, video clips, and data about related events (spreading of disease, space travel, etc.) Create discussions about various technologies, discoveries, and more to engage your students in the topics you are studying. Share the video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share this link on your class website for students to explore at home and learn more about how Hollywood uses science and math in film, television, and beyond. Include this site in a careers unit so students can see how science can lead to many different careers.

Find seven videos about climate change and the evidence scientists have about recent climate change and its causes. The scientific community, on the whole, has accepted the main body of evidence about climate change and the causes. If unsure what the controversy is all about, or possibly to validate your own opinion, become more knowledgeable about climate change and causes by watching these videos. Offered in seven segments, this content replicates a longer video by the same name, making for easier viewing and understanding. Develop an informed opinion about this highly controversial issue. These videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.

In the Classroom

Watch the series of videos as a class or assign them for homework, in a flipped classroom strategy. If using the flipped classroom strategy, use a program like Vizia, reviewed here, where you can embed questions at certain points in the video. Another idea that would put you at the top of the scale as a Common Core prepared teacher would be to use a program like Research Assistant, reviewed here, to help you find articles about climate change, greenhouse emissions, carbon emissions, etc. from many different sources. Then embed the article and video in a program like Actively Learn, reviewed here.

This really good (though dated) video explains how sediments are transformed into beach sand. The many details make this useful across many age groups. The video is 20 minutes long. Click on the name of the YouTube account (LSUC4G) to view other oceanography videos that may be of value in your class. This video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as Tube Offline, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Show to the class on an Interactive Whiteboard or projector. Students WILL likely find some humor in the outdated fashions in this video! However, the content is phenomenal. Create a study guide that students can use to record vital information to remember for later. Consider having students take two part notes with words and phrases written in one column with pictures of the processes or ways for them to remember in the second column. While the video is playing, have specimens of the various rocks and minerals available for students to observe. As they draw or write observations about the specimens in their notes, they can also record any questions they might have to ask later. Students can depict various parts of this information in easy to understand language and examples with their own demonstrations recorded as a podcast or video. Students can choose from many presentation tools reviewed here. For an even more exciting tech-infused project, have student groups enhance this video with their own annotations and resources using wireWax, reviewed here.

Take a tour of your closet to find out where your clothes come from. Discover the concept of interdependence and the extent of our global footprints. Research where raw materials come from and how clothes are made. Consider the implications of manufacturing and transportation to get them to your closet. This interactive includes informative videos complete with transcript. You can save your place within the interactive by "getting a code" that you re-enter on return.

In the Classroom

When discussing the Food and Fiber system (materials used to produce food and the many products we use daily), use this site to gather initial information of where their items come from. As products are no longer made closer to our actual lives, many students are disconnected from the materials and processes used to create everyday products and are unaware of their global footprint. Students can continue research by investigating other items used daily to determine what they are made from, where they are manufactured, etc. Continue this process with the foods that they eat to show how many popular foods are very removed from the whole foods that we should be eating. In geography classes, have students use a reviewed geo/mapping tool from the TeachersFirst Edge to map the path across the globe from raw materials to finished products, just to make one pair of jeans. Discuss the role of natural resources and economics in determining this path.

Introduce evolution with the Evogeneao tree of life. This resource promotes teaching and acceptance of the biological theory of evolution in one transformative way. Life on Earth is one big extended family. Not only are we related to every other living thing in some way, but also to everything that has ever lived.This site includes advertising.

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Introduce the concept beginning with the Evolutionary Genealogy section. Just as we are so, "many times removed" from a distant relative, all life on Earth is related and can be measured. Find great lesson starters and resources for understanding and teaching evolution to students Don't miss the "For Teachers" section. Students can find their favorite animal in the Tree of Life and trace it backwards to find a common ancestor with humans.

Use this free interactive mapping site to make additions to Google Maps, incorporating other data and maps with them. Add topographic maps and spatial or environmental data. This is an easy tool for adding symbols and icons or for adding a drawing on a Google map. Find many of the simple tools along the top of the map. You can do something as simple as adding text labels or shading a region. Add data to the map using the tools below the map. Create a mashup of KML, GPX (easily imported from Garmin), WMS and GEORSS data sources. This video explains many of the features of Geokov. Please note this video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then it may not be viewable. You could always view the video at home and bring it to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as Tube Offline, reviewed here, to download the video from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Take a virtual field trip through the map maker. Explore landforms and other terrain features from Google Earth and topographic maps. Easily create maps for field trips, presentations, classroom activities and more. Create a shade relief topographic map of any region. Doing an environmental study of an area or region? Find the region in this tool first and add the necessary information for classroom discussion or presentation. Use one of the many TeachersFirst Presentation Tools to present information learned. Tie information from literature, stories, history, and other sources to add value and interest to the maps.